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Roundup of the top events and initiatives we spotted during Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022
Cybersecurity awareness month may be over, but if you’re in the MSP or IT channel, it never really ends.
Cybersecurity Ventures estimated the global cost of cybercrime will top $10 trillion by 2025.
The internet landscape has changed dramatically since the U.S. government introduced this awareness month 19 years ago, including the steep rise in cybercrime.
For Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022, we’ve rounded up important news, training, resources, and tools we saw during this year’s cybersecurity awareness month 2022.
World Economic Forum: Stronger EU Legislation to Tackle Cybercrime
To tackle the global cost of cybercrime, which in 2021 was $5.5 trillion, lawmakers in the EU introduced the Cyber Resilience Act earlier this month.
This law aims to increase the strength of cybersecurity in all hardware and software available for sale. It includes everything from consumer electronics, and toys, to business platforms and computers. Hackers can intercept anything that’s connected to the internet. This law introduces a standard way of designing, developing, and producing products. That way, everyone can feel safe knowing that what they’re buying is far less likely to be vulnerable to attack.
The new law offers some support for businesses that may not be able to afford the cost of a cyberattack. To put this into perspective, the WEF reported that the average cost of a cyberattack is over 3 million dollars, and it takes 280 days to identify the cause.
The Cyber Resilience Act now needs approval from the European Parliament and European Council. Once approved, this could mean new, stronger regulations within two years.
Read the article in full on the World Economic Forum website.
SmarterMSP: Encouraging Inclusive Cybersecurity Practices
The MSP specialist SmarterMSP recognizes that every user plays a part in creating more vigorous cyber hygiene habits. For Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022, their theme is ‘see yourself in cyber.’ They recognize that it’s not just the security specialists responsible for reducing cybercrime.
They’ve also created a list of tips everyone can follow at home or work to increase awareness of how their actions impact device and network security. A secondary aim is to encourage those who may be interested in IT security to consider pursuing careers in this field.
Their tips include simple yet effective practices that everyone should adopt.
Learn about practices to help strengthen cybersecurity
SecurityWeek: Actionable Cybersecurity Tips for Organizations
With cybercrime rising, advice such as changing your password regularly, and identifying phishing attempts, may not always be enough to combat hackers. SecurityWeek has published a series of tips for businesses to go even deeper into the risks of cybercrime so that you can be extra vigilant and proactive in preventing hacks.
For example, advice to business owners includes a ‘zero-trust’ mentality, whereby all users, devices, and networks must be verified, with no exceptions.
The publication also believes a rising threat to organizations’ sensitive data stems from employees relying on smartphones and home computers. Working from personal devices could pose a serious threat as they’re often not as secure as working from company devices and don’t follow the same security procedures.
The tips focus on a mix of responsive and proactive measures to ensure that if you discover a threat, you can deal with it more efficiently with minimal downtime.
Read the actionable tips in full on SecurityWeek.
CISA: Educating on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
This year, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are talking about the importance of adding extra layers of security to your passwords. Choosing a hard-to-crack password may not be enough to stop hackers from gaining access to your sensitive data. They’re encouraging you to take advantage of multifactor authentication, also known as two-step or two-factor authentication.
Their advice is tailored to organizations and individuals, explaining the different kinds of MFA and how to use it with your existing accounts. Users should enable MFA on all devices, accounts, streaming services, platforms, and networks, leaving no stone unturned to make it harder for attackers to compromise your details. Plus, it talks about the different kinds of MFAs, including authenticator apps, biometrics, and FIDO keys.
For organizations, they include a complete guide on how to protect sensitive company and customer data with MFA.
Read the guide on MFAs at cisa.gov.
KnowBe4: Free Cybersecurity Resource Kit
KnowBe4 is an industry leader in providing security awareness training. For Cybersecurity Awareness Month, they’ve created a free resource pack for digital download.
Furthermore, this resource kit considers the many employees working from personal devices, remotely, or hybrid.
When you sign up for this resource kit, you’ll receive immediate access to the site’s most popular webinar and white paper, a cybersecurity weekly planner and guide, interactive training, videos, documents, and digital signage. It’s a wealth of practical knowledge and training for your team, all for zero cost.
Register for your free cybersecurity resource kit on the KnowBe4 website.
Keeper Security: Free Dark Web Scan
Keeper Security is a leading password and secret manager, helping keep individuals and businesses more secure. For Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022, they’re providing a wide range of resources to tackle cybercrime. According to their studies, the leading cause of stolen data is weak or stolen passwords. They also have a free dark web scan and white papers and webinars.
The dark web contains billions of stolen credentials from data breaches. Input your business email address using their scanner to get an instant report on your organization’s exposure to a data breach. The information breaks things down into domain and specific email address breaches, highlighting stolen passwords.
Scan your business email address now using Keeper Security’s Data Breach Check.
Palo Alto Networks: Register For the Code-To-Cloud Security Hour.
Palo Alto Networks is known as a world leader in cybersecurity. Furthermore, they’re providing a free webinar with the top security experts on the importance of using a Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP).
When you register for this webinar, you’ll learn about how cloud-based platforms, while flexible, are still problematic in terms of security. Moreover, security visionaries will lead the talk, teaching you strategies for adopting cloud-native apps with excellent safety. Lastly, register to enable your organizations’ teams to work flexibly using cloud-based apps.
Several webinars are available:
- 15th November at 10 am PST
- 16th November at 10 am CET
- 16th November at 11.30 am SGT
Register for your spot on the Palo Alto Networks website.
U.S. Veterans Magazine: Army Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign
This month marks the beginning of the Army Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign, which runs for the entire year. The military is becoming more reliant on technology for its operations, so they aim to provide training, resources, and information for soldiers and their families, making cybersecurity training a priority.
With this training, they hope it increases readiness for the army to protect sensitive data and prevent attacks. Plus, proper cybersecurity awareness helps the nation become more resilient against outside cyber threats.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 is coming to an end.
Although the rates of cybercrime have continued to climb, everyone has the power to strengthen online security. Moreover, continuing to spread awareness means one day we may not need to dedicate a month to spreading knowledge. This is because we’ll all know how to proactively prevent attacks.
Taking advantage of these resources can stop cyberattacks before they affect your business.
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